Renegades
by Narutochica
Summary: Can time heal the pain of a tragic past? Experience life through the eyes of a young Eevee who's world is robbed of light, happiness, love....and those of the hate-filled Quilava sent to kill her. Set throughout all pokemon regions.
1. Chapter 1

Kuro's Fate

I do not own pokemon, if I did I'd be filthy rich. Hope you like.

As my steel reinforced claws ripped through my opponent's flesh, I felt a rush of ecstasy, baring my teeth in a savage grin as the mightyena fell to the side, gaping wound in the side of his neck. I growled under my breath, circling him warily as he pushed himself to all fours again. His legs were shaking.

_Good......_

Now knowing the results of making the fatal mistake of rushing at me, the mightyena took a calmer approach, countering my open hostility with an expression of near boredom.

_How dare he?_

I glance at my trainer who, as usual, was leaning against some kind of tree, leering at the opposing trainer, an annoying, freckle-faced sixteen-year old who's pokemon no doubt belonged to some older sibling or relative. By his side were some of our newer recruits, a psyduck and a sentret, which he'd brought out to observe to the battle.

Mightyena took my distraction as an opportunity to attack, a powerful Dark Pulse sweeping over my small body. A body that, contrary to those of other members of my species, was extra resistant to dark attacks. I took the attack head-on, smirking as the mightyena's jaw tightened in frustration. I sighed. This was going on long enough, all I wanted to do was go home and take a nap in my room.

So I resumed circling, coming closer with each pass, eyes never leaving those of the larger mightyena. My gaze lingered hungrily on his neck, the wound seeping I left there already staining his fur a deep crimson. The smell of blood clouded my mind for an instant, and a little voice in my head told me:

_Go feral....._

Everything turned red, and all I was aware of was a soaring, dreamlike sensation, then hard reality as I slammed into my stunned rival, claws digging into the side of his neck as my muzzle buried itself inside his wound, biting and tearing and slashing. I was oblivious to the canine's panicked screams, my only concern was the victory at hand, and my own desire to dominate the bigger pokemon.

Suddenly the quivering pile of useless flesh below me became engulfed in red light and disappeared. Stupid trainer. I sat down and breathed slowly, my feral side slipping to the back of my head.

I eyed my trainer expectantly, and he responded by flicking a small, red cube to me. Spicy pokeblock. A treat for my day's hard work. I caught the block between my jaws and chewed noisily, casting the other trainer a baleful look as she reached for her last pokeball. I licked my paw, smoothed down the soft fur on my chest.

"Go! Eevee!"

I froze in mid-lick. Eevee? Was this kid serious?

Apparently so, as I was now facing a tiny, brown, fox pokemon with large dark eyes and a bushy tail. "Hi there..." she chirped warily, padding over to me. The tips of her ears were black, I noticed. So was the tip of her tail, which was unusual but not unheard of in young eevees.

She frowned up at me, her head barely reaching my nose. "Um...hello?"

I narrowed my eyes. What was this female playing at? This was a battlefield, not a playground. And, I hate all eevees, and their evolutionary cousins. Don't ask me why, I just do. Without saying a word I turned around and kicked sand in her face.

"Ow!"the kit whined, rubbing her eyes. "That hurts!"

"Deal with it."

My answer was obviously not the apology she expected, for the instant I turned my back to her she bit my short tail. A well-placed punch in the ribs sent her flying.

_Do yourself and your stupid trainer a favor and just lie there and pretend you're hurt. Save us both the time._

"Give it up,"I jeered but she only shook her head.

"Eevee! Use Last Resort!" the Eevee stared blankly at her trainer. I growled irritably. It was plain to see that her trainer knew next to nothing about her attack moves. Such a shame. So desperate to win a battle, she sends out her least experienced 'mon.

Sighing, the girl shook her head and kneeled close to her eevee kit, whispering in her ear. I couldn't catch what they ere saying, but a look of determination crossed the little fox's face.

"Quick attack!" I quickly prepared an ember attack, but before I could even launch it I found myself laying on my side, a nasty scrape on my shoulder from where the kit struck. I growled and pushed myself to my paws. Then I saw it; a small, curved claw affixed to a cord around her neck, along with what appeared to be an everstone. _A Quick Claw.....of course...._

She was panting a few feet away from me, paw clasping her chest as she took a deep, albeit shaky, breath. I wondered if this was her first real battle.

"I warned you to give up."I said in a silky voice, padding towards her. She shrank back, fear showing in her wide eyes. "Now you will pay!" Before she could even begin to scramble away I lunged, my paw lashing out to strike the side of her head. She didn't have a chance. The sheer force of my blow sent her flying into a moss-covered rock....her grunt of pain sent a satisfying thrill through me and I followed up by picking her up roughly by her scruff and dumping her onto the hard, packed soil in the center of the clearing.

"Eevee!" Her trainer shrieked in terror. "Use bite! Don't let him get to you!"

My trainer stood and watched with a blank face. He didn't feel the need to order me around when I was perfectly capable of winning most battles by myself. I flipped the eevee over on her back and placed a paw on her chest. To her credit she did manage to twist her neck and nip my paw, although it was all in vain.

"If your trainer had any amount of love for you, she would recall you and accept your defeat,"I told her as she struggled beneath my paw. "Liar! Jasmine has faith in me! She loves me!" she fired back. I pushed my paw down more making sure my claws pierced her skin, and she whimpered in pain. _You deserve it....weakling....._

Her soft hind paws battered at my belly, catching me neatly in the ribs. I staggered back, but managed to pin her again before she could escape. I held my paw close to her neck, suffocating her until she stopped writhing. Her owner gave no indication of wanting to stop the battle. I smirked down at the little female.

"I am no liar...blame your precious Jasmine for having too much 'faith' in you." With that I sank my teeth into her shoulder and scored my claws down her side. Her screams echoed throughout the clearing, startling some of the feral 'mons into fleeing the area.

"That's enough, Kuro." Aaron said, raising his voice a bit. My vision turned red. I ignored him, clamping down harder, until a jet of water struck me square in the face. I growled irritably at my trainer's pysduck and released my prey.

I promptly stepped back, watching as Jasmine rushed to her fallen pokemon. Nothing short of a pokemon center or evolution could possibly heal these wounds, and the nearest pokemon center was too far away.

Tears of frustration falling down her face, the young girl pulled out a fiery red stone and pressed it to the eevee's forehead. And cursed when nothing happened. The firestone didn't work. It would never work. Because of our battle, this eevee was fated to evolve not into a flareon, but an entirely different pokemon. "Pathetic,"she whispered, before breaking the kit's pokeball in half and throwing the pieces to the ground. She stroked her dying eevee gently before standing up and walking away. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, I noticed as she turned.

The eevee whimpered in pain as her trainer abandoned her.

"Let's go, Kuro." I cast one last glance at her sad, pained, tearful eyes, and trotted along by my trainer's side. As I walked along, I was aware of my limbs lengthening, my torso growing longer and muscular, my senses sharpening, and a white glow emanating from my body...when the light subsided my black fur shone in the moonlight, and I barely noticed Aaron's murmur of approval as a thick fiery mane sprouted from my head, back, and tail area. The flames were a vivid mix of red and yellow and orange. I raised my head proudly.

I emerged, a Dark Quilava, and looked back from whence I came, seeing a similar glow in the area where the abandoned eevee lay. I narrowed my eyes and turned my back, once more following Aaron.

* * *

Please tell me what you think of my first pokemon story,if it was good, bad, ugly, any errors,or whatnot.

Love, Narutochica


	2. Sanctuary

**Sanctuary**

A soothing warmth swept through my fur, easing pain of the cuts and bruises that covered my battered body. I opened my eyes for the first time in who knew how long, expecting to be blinded by the outside light and pleasantly surprised when I realized the lighting was dim enough to allow me to keep them open. I struggled to my paws, the padding beneath them shifting slightly as I glanced around the room.

The source of this warmth was some kind of human device suspended a few feet above my head, not unlike those I've seen in pokemon centers. I stretched my legs, then padded out from under the machine, my ears angled toward the exit. The door was open, so I assumed that at the very least, I wasn't a prisoner here. I took one last look at my holding area. Apart from the blankets on which I had slept on before, the room was bare.

I shivered and padded into the hallway, taking some comfort in the fact that I still had my quick claw. The everstone was gone; perhaps my captors had taken it, as payment for healing me. The walls were a dull gray, and for a few seconds I wondered if ghost pokemon resided in the building. My older brothers often told me stories about a dragon ghost that lived in another world, yet came into our own to eat bad little eevees. Those stories gave me nightmares, and it was on most nights that I ended up curled against my mother, taking comfort in her short, velvety-smooth fur and her long fin-like tail wrapped about me.

I stayed alert as I peered into each room, finding few signs of other pokemon residing in them. These rooms were more extravagantly furnished than mine, with large, separate sections, a bath, and even an artificial garden in the corner of one. I sniffed each room thoroughly, my senses telling me that most of the pokemon here were canines, and in at least two was the scent of fresh milk. Someone had given birth recently.

At the end of the hallway I found a stairwell and, judging from the smell of fresh air, I was close to what humans called the roof. The scent of other pokemon was fresher here as well, so I decided to investigate. I had barely climbed one stair before I heard a low growl behind me.

"You there! Name and rank!" I lowered my ears in deference. "My…..name?"

"Yes," said the Arcanine. "Do you not have one?"

His gentle gaze bored into my eyes, and I suddenly knew I could trust this male. "I don't know what this place is…I think someone healed me here."His eyes widened with recognition.

"Ah, so you're the new one. Come then. If you are to stay here, you may as well get know this place, and the purpose of the pokemon that reside here." He lowered his great head. "Climb on, little one. Mind the eyes."

As I clambered on, I couldn't help but rub my cheek against his warm, thick mane. He chuckled deeply and grinned. "Hold on tight now."

The warning had barely left his mouth when, with a sudden bound he cleared the next three flights, his short but powerfully built legs bearing us easily to the top floor. Not for the first time did I feel small and insignificant….the same feeling I felt when battling that unusually dark cyndaquil. I sighed, hoping the arcanine wouldn't hear.

He did. His wide ears twitched, but he said nothing, only lowered his head once more and allowed me to slide off. We had reached the top landing.

He pressed his head against the door there and pushed it open. "This, is where we train." I padded through and immediately fell back in surprise as a dozen hooves flashed past my muzzle. I sat on my haunches and stared in surprise at the herd of rapidash and tauros that ran on along a large track in the arena. In the middles of this arena, as the racers galloped past, other pokemon were sparring with physical attacks. The majority of these pokemon were canine and feline, and there was not one eevee among them.

A pair of luxrays running along the track nodded their maned heads at the Arcanine as they passed, leading me to assume that he was very important here. Arcanine smiled down at them and led me toward a sparring eon pair.

One was black, with a few very dark gray spots on her back. The yellow rings that adorned her body made her seem to glow as she dodged the unrelenting attacks of her sparring partner, an unusually tall, lanky jolteon with an impressive ruff of spiked fur that framed his face.

As I watched, transfixed, the jolteon pounced, digging his teeth into her scruff and flipping them smartly over, his claws pinching into her soft belly. He immediately let go once he caught sight of the two pokemon watching them.

"Arcturus," the Umbreon greeted with a slight nod. The Arcanine didn't reply, instead pushing the me forward with an oversized front paw. I shrank back a little as the jolteon sniffed me carefully.

"Ah…"he murmured under his breath. "This is the eevee Radar found the other day, right?"

"Yes, Storm, what do you think of her?" Under Storm's lidded gaze I couldn't help but pin my ears back and show my teeth. Behind his calm demeanor I could sense an inner aggressiveness that I doubted many other pokemon could possess.

"I'd not bare my fangs to Storm if I were you,"the umbreon spoke in a calm voice like mother's. "See the length of his tail?" I then noticed for the first time the jolteon's spiked tail which was curled over his back paws.

"Jolteon's have tails?" I looked up at Arcturus, who confirmed the truth with a nod.

"The stronger, and longer-lived a jolteon grows, the longer his tail will become. "the Umbreon continued as the scarred jolteon looked on. "Storm here is one of our more experienced fighters. As you just saw in our sparring match, he is able to pin many opponents with ease."

I looked at the older jolteon and mumbled an apology under my breath. If he had considered me any sort of threat, he'd have attacked the moment I showed hostility.

"This here is Onyx," Arcturus said, wrapping his tail affectionately around the umbreon. "A commanding officer here and…"He smiled down at her. "My mother."

I gaped openmouthed, until the dark eon swatted his tail away with a paw.

"Don't listen to anything this lummox says, he says this only because I have to constantly remind him of things he has to do. Which reminds me, did you remember to visit our allies in Jubilife City? You know, about that one issue….."

"Yes, yes," the Arcanine cut in, rolling his eyes. "I'm on it. In the meantime, please find this youngster a room. Preferably one with a window and shower area." He turned and padded away, flicking my cheek gently with his tail as he passed.

"Storm, I want you to train her when you see fit." He called over his shoulder. Storm didn't reply; he was already watching a mock battle between a Delcatty and a Persian.

"Eevee," Onyx addressed her. "Follow me."

As we left, a few pokemon called out greetings to me. Feeling shy and overwhelmed, I smiled and waved my tail back at them, but didn't say anything. I concentrated my thoughts on the umbreon in front of me. Her rings glowed in a subtle way once we were in the dim stairwell, and I couldn't help but admire the way they contrasted against her dark pelt. Perhaps, if I grew close to someone, I myself could be an umbreon….

We went down several floors until we reached a long, wide hallway with a lush carpet underpaw and bright lights that made the place feel welcoming. At the end of this hallway was a balcony, on which several bird pokemon perched, chattering quietly amongst themselves.

Onyx stopped in front of a door of a tiny door marked "E-V", which I found amusing. She motioned me through and followed me in, then sat back to gauge my reaction.

I was speechless. The apartment was very similar to that of my owner's, except for the fact that everything was made to suit the needs of pokemon like myself. There was a large, circular bed with a wool blanket and heaps of cushion piled inside it in place of the mattresses that humans preferred. There was also a tv, a low desk, a fireplace, and, after I drew aside a curtain near the toilet, a bathing area with a small pool and a shower beside it.

There was another room near it which, I noticed after catching a claw in one of them, had hundreds of small holes all over the tiles.

"Blow dryer," Onyx explained, pointing to a dial with her tail. Curious, I turned it to "regular" setting, and was immediately buffeted by air from all sides, effectively airing out my fur and cooling my skin. By the time I stepped out, my fur was coming out at all angles; it took the combined efforts of me and Onyx to press it flat again.

When we reached the kitchen, which was really only a room with a stove, a couple of frying pans, and a low table, I noticed that something was missing. I glanced at my guide. "No fridge?"

"No fridge,"the umbreon confirmed with a smile. "Here, it is encouraged that we all eat with our comrades in the communal dining hall."

"Where is-aaahn…" I clamped my mouth shut, horrified. I'd just yawned in the face of my superior…but she merely laughed.

"Tired, I see." She noted. "Before I leave you to rest, I would like to show you something." She led the way to a large pair of thin glass double doors, which led out to a balcony. _My balcony,_ I realized with a jolt.

The view was of a large forest, which was so dense I couldn't see any pokemon other than the occasional pidgey or spearow that skimmed the canopy. A railing about four feet high was there to prevent any accidental falls. However, Onyx drew my attention to a large, padded sandbag mounted by two ropes, one on the top and the other on the bottom so it held steady. "Give it a swipe,"she instructed.

A reared on my hind paws and cuffed it with all my strength, and immediately recoiled when all I earned was a sharp pain in my paw. The dark pokemon murred with amusement. I looked away, embarrassed. "Like this,"she said, tackling the bag, managing to dig the claws of all four paws into it before using her momentum to push off and land on all fours.

"I want you to practice your physical attacks on this during your training. It will help you build muscle, and sharpen your skills. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some personal affairs to take care of."

After she left, I lay curled up in my bed and nibbled on a sitrus berry, reflecting over the past few days. I missed my Jasmine very much; the pain of being abandoned was still fresh in my heart. My thoughts darkened as I remembered the dark cyndaquil, the cruel, hearltess creature that would have killed me had his trainer not interfered. My claws dug into the soft rind of my berry.

I didn't care how long….he would pay dearly for what he'd done to me. Even if doing so resulted in my own death.


	3. Family Matters

**Family Matters**

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon, but pokemon own ME

I was still curled up amongst the cushions of my new bed when I heard a scuffling noise near my door flap. I had barely pulled aside the latch to investigate when a ball of blue and black fur burst in and toppled right into me, hitting me square in the chest. I hardly registered that the thing that invaded my room was in fact a shinx when the flap swung open again.

A large, feline head poked through, red eyes widening in horror as they beheld the trouble it's offspring caused. "Niko! Oh dear, what have you done now?" With an apologetic glance in my direction she picked up her dazed cub by the scruff and shifted him under one of her large front paws, ensuring that he wouldn't escape.

"I apologize for my son's behavior, miss." Her voice sounded sore, as if she'd been yelling a lot. Her red eyes were watery; she kept blinking, a failed effort in keeping her tears from falling "I can assure you that he meant no harm, it is just that he is more prone to run away under some circumstances…"

Throughout her apology, I simply sat and stared. I knew luxray were supposed to be big, however I had no idea that meant over three times my size! She seemed very young as well. However as I observed her I noticed something else. Her cheek was bruised, along with a noticeable cut above her left eye. What on earth happened to her?

Then I realized I was openly gawking. A little embarrassed at my own rudeness, I shook my head to clear my thoughts and smiled. "It's fine, really. I was a little surprised though." A glimmer of hope appeared in her ruby eyes, then faded away as she picked up her cub by the scruff of his neck.

"Okay sweetie we better get going…got a lot of ground to make up!" She then looked at me.

"It won't happen again, I promise. Thank you," she said awkwardly around a mouthful of cub fur before making her way towards the flap again. Her tail drooped, and I suddenly felt a pang of loneliness.

"Wait…" She stopped and looked back expectantly. "Um….would you like to stay and eat with me before you go?"

She put her cub down and cocked her head to one side.

"Food…"she whispered in a wondering tone. "There is food here?"

Niko pawed at his mother's legs. "Mama, my tummy hurts…."

She lowered her head and licked his cheek. "I know dear, but I can't give you milk if my stomach is empty. There is food?" She repeated.

"Er…well, I heard there was a dining hall…Why don't we go look for it?" I said brightly, accompanying them out the flap and into the hallway. On the way out I snatched up the remaining sitrus berry and dropped it in front of the cub once he was put down. He sniffed it warily before devouring the sweet berry in a few bites.

As we padded toward the stairwell, I decided to break the silence that fell between me and his mother.

"So, what's your name?"

She flattened her ears a little before replying. "Reika."

"That's a pretty name. I wish I had one…"Niko bounced alongside me, his stubby little tail waving back and forth.

"But you're supposed to have a name, didn't your mama give you one?" His innocent eyes stretched wide in surprise.

"Niko…" The luxray gave him a warning glance.

I honestly didn't mind the question. Though I was little more than a kit, only a year and a half old, my parents had decided to wait until I evolved to name me. But then….

I shivered; thinking about the past would only hurt. "You can just call me Eevee for now. Until I can find a name, that is…." Reika glanced curiously at me but said nothing when we reached the landing. We paused, unsure of where to go next.

"Maybe we should ask around?" I suggested, eying a furret that scurried past.

"Doncha live here Eevee?" Niko whined., his stomach growling audibly.

" I'm new here as well. They took me in and saved my life after I was found injured. I wish they hadn't taken my everstone though.." I murmured, touching the spot on my chest where it used to rest against. If I hadn't regretted the loss of my everstone before, I did now. It was like a memento to me; a good luck charm. At least I had my quick claw. "How did you end up here?"

Niko shuffled his paws, embarrassed. " I got frightened by something….so I ran in here, and bumped into this jigglypuff, then it turned around and hit me and then…." He trailed off, looking frightened.

Reika frowned and raised her beautiful head, breathing in lungful of air before pointing her paw downstairs. "The scent of berries is stronger down there," she explained, snatching up her cub and maneuvering carefully down the steps. After a few steps I noticed the smell too.

We eventually ended up in a corridor with a soft, grasslike carpeting that tickled my pawpads. Niko yowled with delight and rolled around in it, kicking up his small hind paws in the air. "This feels better than grass mama," he purred.

"'Im sure it does, sweetie," his mother smiled as we approached a room at the far end. The entrance, through which we could hear the voices of many pokemon within.

It was enormous. There were real trees and real grass growing inside the chamber, and pokemon of all shapes and sizes sitting or standing in clusters, eating berries that grew from the trees and bushes that lined the perimeter. Two venusaurs, a torterra and a meganium were walking to and fro, shaking their leaves and drenching the unoccupied half of the feed area with dew and pollen. The lights were tinted a slight purple, which seemed odd but made sense later on when I was given an explanation about UV rays and using these special lights to mimic the sun's rays and make plants grow.

I craned my head and saw Arcturus the arcanine, surrounded by many admirers as he ate. My tail wagged; I was looking forward to talking to him again.

While Niko and I grew excited, Reika's cheerful expression turned to one of apprehension.

"What's wrong?" I asked seeing her hesitate in the doorway.

"It's….nothing." She replied, her eyes glowing briefly before they turned back to their normal crimson color. She raised her tail and strode forward, seemingly satisfied. Niko followed along by my side. Even though he was a young cub, only about four or five months old, he was almost bigger than me.

"That was mama's Gleam Eyes," he explained proudly. "She can see through some walls with it."

"Does she do that a lot?" I asked curiously., weaving among the pokemon that lay on the grass eating berries or talking to each other.

He nodded, looking serious. "Ever since daddy-"

"_Hisss…back off…_" Reika hissed at a large male luxray who had approached her. He immediately stepped back, looking a bit hurt. The absol and delcatty that clustered behind him laughed at their comrade's embarrassment.

"No need to be rude, now," he narrowed his eyes and stepped menacingly toward her, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Raikou has smiled upon me indeed, for the two of us to meet here."

"Captain, I would not do that," the absol said, frowning. His eyes narrowed furiously when his advice was ignored.

I had no idea what was going on, but there was no way I was going to let my new friend get hurt. I padded closer and to the side, prepared to rush the big male if he so much as snapped at her.

"I am not going back to your brother, Surge, and I refuse to hand my son over to you…"she growled. "I am his mother, therefore I should raise him."

The luxray, who's name I now took to be Surge, chuckled under his breath. "Then you shall have your wish, Reika. Join my harem, and I can offer both you and your young cub protection." The delcatty opened her mouth to protest but closed it again after a silencing growl from the male luxray.

"No, no…" She narrowed her eyes furiously.

Surge advanced again, coming close enough to nuzzle her neck and inhale her scent. She cringed. "You can be the dominant female in my pride, Reika…."

Reika stiffened, her mane rising as she struggled to control her anger. "Never! Both you and your brother can rot for all I care!" She roared in his face.

At the same time he raised his paw, claws unsheathed, to slash her across the face when I struck. I remembered the move Onyx demonstrated on the sandbag earlier. Time was running out, so I had to do something.

That luxray did not know what hit him. My timing was a little off; Surge slipped a few inches to the side when he saw me coming out the corner of his eye, but it was too late. The moment my front claws hit his side I dug them in, twisting my spine and using the momentum to get my hind paws on his back. The impact of my attack knocked him onto his side, stunning him for a second as his head hit the hard floor with a sickening thud.

Impaling him with all my claws, I sank my small teeth into his shoulder, making him hiss in pain. For the first time, I felt power, more than I'd ever felt in my short life. I don't know how, but my body was stronger, faster, more capable of taking hard blows than ever before. I imagined that the yowling feline below me was the cyndaquil that tried to kill me, and bit down harder, tasting blood. A frustrated growl escaped my throat as he tried to get back on all fours.

Meanwhile, Reika wasted no time in battering his face and belly with unsheathed claws, snarling in cold fury. Niko cowered behind her, mewling as he watched his mother tussle with the bigger, stronger feline. Thankfully, he was so distracted by Reika's frontal assault that he didn't waste time trying to buck me off. I, in turn, distracted him from fighting properly, and Reika was able to get in a few good blows.

It was almost over before it started.

A cool, blue aura surrounded my body and lifted me into the air, much to my annoyance. My only comfort was that I kept my teeth locked the entire time this happened, so I came away with a small chunk of flesh between my jaws.

Below me similar auras surrounded the fighting luxrays and separated them. A chansey sitting by had put down her pecha berry and was already heading over, clearing the crowd that gathered around and kneeling by Reika, who collapsed on her stomach with Niko standing beside her. The little shinx bared his teeth at Surge.

The luxray, who, judging by the short exchange between himself and Reika, must have been the cub's uncle was also on his side; restrained by a hefty miltank and a primeape. He struggled wildly under the bulk of his guards. I noticed with satisfaction that one of his ears was shredded to ribbons.

"That will be enough!" said a stern voice. By this time the aura had set me down a few feet away from Reika. Relieved that none of her injuries seemed life-threatening, I now turned to the person that spoke up.

My first encounter with a girafarig wasn't a happy one. Spooked by poachers, a herd of them ran over my family's den while I was little more than a newborn. Luckily, no one was hurt seriously, and a new den was built within a week.

The Girafarig that stood before me seemed nothing like the dumb, witless members of his species I encountered before; his dark eyes shone with wisdom and depth. They looked even more so as they briefly flashed when he gazed at Reika and Surge.

The moment his gaze touched them they stiffened, but kept still. Surge curled his lip furiously while Reika pinned her ears back and gazed ahead. Suddenly, I felt a prickling sensation in my head. It wasn't painful, only a little uncomfortable.

_Relax, _the Girafarig whispered in my head. _I am merely searching for the cause of this quarrel between your companion and our senior Hunter. Pardon the intrusion._

After a minute of scanning my thoughts, he frowned and nodded. I trembled; what had he seen?

The miltank and primeape released the furious male luxray, who stalked over to Reika and bent his head close to hers. "This is not over you _will _be mine." The Girafarig stamped a hoof impatiently and glared at Surge. I realized he was speaking telepathically to him.

The delcatty rushed forward to lick his shredded ear but he shrugged her off.

After shooting me a look of pure hatred(which I was only too happy to return) he limped out, accompanied by his companions.

"Thank you, Van. I will take over from here." The psychic nodded in reply as Arcturus approached Reika, a curious expression on his face. "I do not believe I have ever seen you before. Pray tell, what is your name?"

"Reika," She stood up straight despite her wounds and looked him in the eye. "This is Niko, my surviving cub. " I inched away from the Girafarig and was about to go to Reika's side when a paw on my shoulder stopped me.

It was Storm, slowly shaking his head. "Leave it be. There are some people I have to introduce to you." The fur on my neck began to rise.

"But-"

"Your friends will be fine. Come." He half-snarled as he turned away from the scene. My tail drooped. I looked back once more in time to see Arcturus heading back to his unfinished meal, Reika following proudly behind him. Nico scampered happily between the arcanine's paws as they walked. My fur lay flat again.

Storm steered me toward a small group of pokemon eating by a tree. They were mostly canine, although a bayleef and a zangoose sat among them. Without wasting any time Storm began introducing them. None of them seemed very remarkable apart from the bayleef, Gaia, and the zangoose Edge, who extended a claw to her as a greeting.

Among the canines(of which I was the sole eevee), Ember the vulpix seemed the least friendliest. Taking her rudeness to be shyness, I politely told her how nicely groomed her tails were. My friendly overtures were met by hostile glares and thinly veiled insults. It didn't help that she constantly had two male houndour fawning over her the entire time, praising her(few)virtues.

I had better luck with the Edge the zangoose. Storm had started training him at a young age. Due to a traumatic incident in his kithood, he was mute. He communicated with Storm by tapping the floor with his long claws. While he was unable to make even the most basic of noises, he was an excellent fighter and devoted to the Clan, as I soon came to know the group led by Arcturus. Edge was a good listener, and he sat transfixed as I told him my story. He became one of my closet friends after that.

Gaia, despite her sweet, outer appearance, was one of the more aggressive of her species. Grass pokemon, especially those of her line, were gentle and generally hated the thought of fighting and harming others. The bayleef was quiet at first, but eventually opened up, telling me about how she left her family in Johto and hitched a ride on the back of a lapras to get to Sinnoh.

After a bit, Onyx padded over, her red eyes glowing in pride. "I saw what happened back there. You utilized your skills well for such a young eevee." Storm nodded sagely while Ember rolled her eyes and whispered something in the ear of one of her houndour consorts.

"Our purpose here is to make the world a better place for all pokemon. We are organized into rescue teams that assist pokemon in times of trouble. We have a smaller group of bounty hunters that supply the Clan with income, for amenities and healing technology and whatnot." She raised her head proudly. "I myself used to be a bounty hunter, though I may occasionally take on a mission for old time's sake."

"Um…what am I going to be then?" I asked curiously. This job didn't sound half-bad. Rescuing seemed like a noble thing to do.

"We will find that out in due time." Storm replied. "It usually depends on one's skills, and attitude." He nodded to Edge. "Take Edge here for example. He is only a trainee, yet he is skilled enough to fight and kill pokemon who jeapordize the safety of others. However…" Edge seemed to blush at this. "Despite his fighting capability he is better suited to rescue work. His gentle heart and protective personality far outweigh his killing instincts." He jerked his head toward Gaia.

"Gaia, on the other hand, seems more suited to rescue work by default. Bayleef have vines, which are able to support weigh and squeeze through small crevices, handy for reaching stuck pkemon without much effort. Bayleef also specialize in attacks that transfer energy from one pokemon to another., which is an added benefit if a rescued pokemon is sick or weak. Gaia's trained herself as a fighter all her life, and lacks the patience needed for reconnaissance work."

"An assassin needs no patience," Gaia muttered under her breath. "Get in, destroy the target, get out, that's it."

"We have another purpose as well," Onyx continued. "To take back control from human organizations that enslave and exploit pokemon for their own selfish desires. Team Rocket of Kanto and Johto, Teams Aqua and Magma of Hoenn, and the more recent Team Galactic of Sinnoh. Once these four are taken out, the smaller groups will disband with little trouble."

I was just about to ask her more about these groups when when Niko bounced over, his little tail wagging as he pounced on my back and nipped my ear.

"Eevee, guess what!?" He practically yelled in my ear. I rolled him off and sat on his back.

"Settle down," I stifled a giggle. "What is it?"

"Arc is letting mama stay! He gave her a job, now all he has to do is find a room for me and mama." He beamed. "He even fed us!"

I let him up and he immediately cuddled against my stomach, purring so loudly everyone around us heard. I petted his head a little, feeling affection for the little cat. _Is this what it's like to have a little brother?_

"What is your mother going to do for the Clan?" Onyx asked curiously.

"Arc wants her to be a fighter! He said he was impressed, mama was the first pokemon to ever get that close to beating Surge. I think he likes mama." Niko settled down next to me and gazed expectantly at Storm. "Arc told me you were the best electric-type fighter in the Clan. I'm electric too, can you teach me? I wanna grow strong enough to protect mama!"

The aging jolteon seemed undaunted by the cub's tendency to constantly talk. "I don't see why not. In fact, from now on your training partner will be Nameless here." Onyx gently touched his shoulder with her muzzle, a hidden message in her eyes. His gaze softened. "I will be going to bed now, I suggest you all do the same as well. Long day tomorrow." Onyx went with him.

That night I went out on the balcony and practiced attacking the sandbag until dawn. At first it barely moved when I swiped it with a paw, but after a few minutes I managed to hit it hard enough so that it swung toward me with every blow. I wanted to hit it until the sand ran out.

I ran around it, then dashed in, gave it a few blows, and leaped back. Imagining it was an enemy, I feinted and dodged, somehow twisting in midair and landing on all fours as I became more absorbed in defeating my nemesis. _That cyndaquil is going to pay_…..I crouched, digging my claws into the concrete then leapt.

I continuously tackled it, at one time biting it so hard I tasted sand. _Good, _said an encouraging voice inside my head. _Keep going….finish it off. I was only too happy to oblige_

_Soon my paws were covered in cuts and scrapes from hitting it too hard. I jumped onto the railing, catlike, and looked out over the horizon. A tinge of red colored the faraway landscape, and I paused to admire the rising sun as it slowly chased away the darkness of night. _

_A few smudges of dried blood marred the side of the bag. I growled and closed my eyes, feeling a power burn inside me. It was as if the sun was giving me energy; no longer was I tired, and no longer did my paws sting from the scrapes and cuts that adorned the pink pads._

_I pulled my ears back and growled, seeing not the sandbag but the black-furred cyndaquil, eyes glowing with malice, a bloodthirsty aura emanating from his body. The fur along my spine rose._

_It was as if all my frustration, all my anger , the hate I felt within the past few days was on fire, constricting my throat till it hurt painfully.. By pure instinct I reared my head back and opened my mouth, letting the emotions escape my body in the form of a sinister purple ball of dark energy that hovered in front of it._

_It grew bigger as it absorbed the my negative thoughts. Then it was too much to bear. Such a thick concentration of hate and fury…I needed as far from me as possible. _

_I jumped high into the air, at the same time flicking my head downwards, releasing the Shadow Ball. The effects were devastating. The sandbag exploded, a cloud of sand raining down all around me as I landed gracefully._

_I no longer felt small._

* * *

_I hope you liked this chapter, sorry if it seemed a bit long. This is my first pokemon fic ever, so if you have any suggestions, it would be appreciated. I already know what Nameless is going to evolve into, and what her name will be. But that isn't for a while yet. Next chapter will be in a different point of view._

_Read and Review, constructive criticism appreciated._

_Love, Narutochica._

_P.S. I will finish my Naruto fics….eventually…._


	4. 3 Months Later

Sorry if this is a bit late. Too much writers block, and college stuff aagh.

Disclaimer:I do not own pokemon. I wish I was one though :)

**3 months Later...**

"Well this is a surprise…" A low voice purred as I stalked into the room. "Nice coat," the zangoose looked appraisingly at me.

"Whatever," I muttered under my breath, but turning my body around so all aspects of my new form were visible.

Aaron ignored our exchange and down beside Streak with a mug of coffee in his hand. He flipped through a few channels on the television and settled on the news. I flicked an ear idly, listening. Nothing of much interest, only the latest development in in an expedition led by a group of human scientists to find the original cause of the parasitic disease known as pokerus.

Aaron took a long, slow sip of his tea, eyes never leaving the screen. Though he was my first trainer and raised me well, I was never able to have any sort of lasting love for him. I did what he asked in battle. He fed and treated my injuries. As for the killing….those orders came from higher up the tree. Those missions I did on my own.

Streak purred and nudged under his arm, and he raised it obligingly to embrace her and caress her fur. Delighted at the attention she was receiving, she curled her white tail over his arm and stretched her nose toward his mug, sniffing curiously.

Thoroughly disgusted by her outrageous behavior I snorted and retreated a few paces away into my own small room. The movement of my new body still astounded me; as a cyndaquil my spine was fixed so that I was usually in a more hunched position. My spine was longer and more flexible now, allowing for a freer range of movement with little trouble.

Allowing myself a small smirk, I swiveled my long neck around and groomed my back, wincing as my sharp teeth cut into my skin. My fur itself was smooth and oddly shiny, and even darker than it was in my prior form. I licked a paw and drew it over the creamy fur on my chest, all the way down to my stomach., dislodging any bits of dirt and gravel I picked up on the way back.

I stood there admiring my long, sharp claws, flexing them in and out of their sheathes. If I was this strong as a quilava, then what of typhlosion?

Yawning, I stretched, flexing my lean muscles as I gazed at myself in the mirror set up near the window. I am not a narcissist, but I couldn't help but be drawn to my own reflection.

"Hey there." Streak paused in the doorway, her violet eyes sweeping over my physique. "Aaron's gone out again….leaving just the two of us…"She walked around me, making sure her plumy tail rubbed against my sides as she did so. I shuddered, but not out of fear.

"So?"

"So…."She purred as I narrowed my eyes at her. She chuckled, a deep throaty sound, then did something I would never have let her do if I knew she was going to do it. She nibbled my neck, the feel of her teeth grating her skin making me shiver. That was it.

I spun around, lashing out with my new claws just as she dodged, flipping backward and landing elegantly a few feet away from me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked coldly, feeling a prickle of unease when she laughed. "What?"

Streak sneered. "Even if you had accepted, I would never take you as a mate, however temporary." She yawned sauntered toward the doorway. "Now, a _typhlosion_….that I could go for."

I stood there for a second, dumbstruck, before her words hit me. My vision turned red, my lip curling back to reveal long, sharp fangs. Ever since I had been given to Aaron as a cyndaquil, Streak had been nothing of a constant annoyance in my life. When it got down to it, she could be considered a bully, even. Though she was Aaron's first and strongest pokemon, my unexpected arrival caused several changes in the way things were run in the apartment.

Aaron paid an unusual amount of attention to me for a Rocket grunt. I was a picky eater as a kit, and he constantly had to go out and buy different foods for me to try out every day, something which irked the spoiled zangoose. Even after I settled on spicy pokeblock and Aaron no longer cared for me as much as he used to, Streak's resentment of me never faltered. I had the bites and cuts to prove it. I crouched, tensing my muscles.

"Don't." Streak paused in the doorway, her back still turned. "You are ten years too young to even _think _of beating me in battle, let alone landing a blow." She half turned her head, the one eye visible to me narrowed. "You have a solo mission tomorrow. Go to sleep."

I didn't bother with a reply; without waiting to see if she left I whirled around and snatched up a Cheri berry from my personal supply, relishing the fiery hot taste as I crushed it between my jaws. I felt a little better then, though I was still pissed. No matter. I would have my revenge on her eventually. My rigorous training as a cyndaquil hadn't been for nothing.

I swiped my tongue around my lips. It wasn't enough. I wanted _more_. My vision turned red once more, and I struggled to control the oncoming bloodlust from consuming me. I licked my dried lips and took a deep breath, feeling the fury subside a little.

I needed out. _Now. Maybe a mission would sate my urges._

_

* * *

  
_

"Nice, Eevee!" Onyx called when I successfully pinned her. It was my third month of training and so far, I'd been sparring one on one with Onyx. Niko, who sometimes joined my sessions was trained mainly by Storm. On my first day of fighting practice, Storm had asked me to fight a mock battle with Onyx. I'd barely started when he declared that my fighting style closely matched that of his mate's. And so, I was left with Onyx as my mentor. At first, I was a little shy because of her unblinking, unreadable gaze, but after a few hours I got used to it. I'd often heard that umbreons were scary, vengeful creatures with a lust for blood; this one was quite the opposite. I sometimes wondered if she was ever faced with that stereotype when she younger.

I relaxed my hold and let her get up. I giggled as she shook dirt from her inky coat. "That wasn't bad, was it?" I asked, proud of my accomplishment.

"No, it wasn't, but there is still much for you to learn. You have unusual strength for an eevee." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "If I did not know better I would think that you were already evolved."

"But I'm still an eevee," I pointed out.

"I know…it just….never mind." We sat lay down on the grass for a bit to catch our breaths before moving on to our next exercise. As always, I was the first to recover; perhaps this was because umbreons were a little weaker in the mornings.

"Onyx, can we run the obstacle course again?" Onyx lazily tilted open an eye.

"Do you never take a moment to stop and rest, little Eevee?"She asked softly. "Why so eager to train longer and harder than all the other junior members of the Clan? You always struck me as unusual."

I stared at my paws, feeling uncomfortable. The only other person who knew my story was Edge the zangoose, who I knew wouldn't betray my secret."Well, I was-"

"Sister!" A blue streak barreled into me. I struggled with my attacker for a few seconds before he managed to pin me nose-down in the dirt. "I told ya I'd pin you next time," Niko smirked as he let me up.

"No fair! That was a low move, sneaking up on me like that." I butted his flank with my head and sent him rolling into a bush.

The young shinx who'd found his way into my apartment a few months before had undergone a remarkable transformation. He was nearly twice my size, and was a skillful fighter already. Having evolved into a luxio during the second month of his intensive training, he was a step ahead of most of the other Clan trainees, not including myself. I smiled proudly as I stared at him for the first time in three weeks. Storm had taken him up into Eterna forest on a small mission, and they had only just returned.

"How'd it go?" Onyx murmured as Storm bent down to lick her cheek.

"No problem at all..." Storm narrowed his eyes fondly as she nuzzled his in return.

"That's nice to hear." her rings glowed softly.

"Yes..." His eyes looked vague, as if he were troubled.

"Storm?" Onyx noticed his sudden discomfort.

"However...there is something about the old mansion we passed that disturbs me. I can't explain it...I'll have one of the ghosts look into it later."

"I'm sure we could do a small sweep of the area when we have the time."

"Hi Storm!" I spoke up.

"Oh, hey kid." He still looked distracted, maybe even disturbed.

"Eevee's grown up quite a bit since we first bought her here, wouldn't you say?"Onyx added kindly.

He turned and eyed me with mild interest. "I can see you've fleshed out nicely, Eevee. Very nice...." He looked at his mate. "Real glossy fur, that one. And very bright-eyed. Sign of good health. Her limbs have lengthened a bit as well."

"I'm still small though..." I muttered under my breath.

"Nonsense."Storm clipped my ear smartly with a sheathed paw. "You still have evolution to look forward to young one. Any thoughts on that?"I froze, remembering that fateful night many months ago when I was left bleeding my life out in Eterna forest. Back then, my trainer had tried to force me to evolve with a fire stone. But it never worked.

"Uh..."

"She should become a jolteon!" Niko butted in with a toothy grin. "Then we could both be electric types, right Storm?"

"We Jolteons are swift pokemon,"Storm admitted. "Onyx?"

"It's still too early to say," she replied, licking a paw and swiping it over her ear. " Espeons have the advantage over Dark types when it comes to battling Fighting types. However, due to our type advantage, psychic moves from an espeon have little or no effect upon umbreons. Also, espeons do not usually fight physically, which is another thing to consider since you prefer close combat. I can see you would make a very fine umbreon, by the way. Your stealth skills are impressive for one so young. As for leafeons..."

Her voice faded away as a familiar pink fox made her way across the training area, two houndour in tow.

The vulpix, who I recognized as a vixen named Ember was not my favorite person in the Clan. For the past three months, she and her houndoor cronies kept making snide remarks whenever I was in earshot. Even though I ignored them as best as possible, it still hurt. Gaia tried to make me feel better by suggesting that the vulpix's animosity toward me was out of envy; I dismissed that notion immediately.

What did I have that Ember could possibly covet for herself? I was a plain, brown-furred eevee. Even though we're both fox pokemon, a vulpix's velvety pink fur and six tails were more aesthetically and physically pleasing than an eevee's, especially when it came to being courted by a potential mate.

One of the houndour was limping, and every few seconds he stopped to catch his breath. I frowned, noticing that not once did she slow her pace for him. But then, I didn't expect her to, even though it was her fault he was injured in the first place. It all started during my second month of battle practice with Onyx, when we had taken a break. As part of my teaching, I was to observe the older trainees battle each other.

_"Can we please practice that move you showed me again? Just one more try and I think I can nail it." I spanked my front paws on the ground eagerly, tail wagging back and forth. _

_"Slow down there, youngster." Onyx took hold of my scruff and tugged on it gently until I calmed down. "I think it's time you watched a battle between pokemon of opposing types." She scanned the area, looking for a battle that fit that description._

_"Like fire and ice?"_

_"Fire and...water, actually." She led me toward a battle that was just about to start. I felt my hackles rise as I noticed one of the fighters was Ember. _

_"Came here to see a real battle, Eevee?" She sneered, shouldering me aside. She chuckled softly to herself and walked around me to face her opponent, a bright-eyed squirtle. I glared at her retreating back and growled under my breath as her houndour guards crouched protectively in front of me, barring me from giving her a good smack across the face._

_"Cut it out," Onyx snapped at us in a disapproving tone._

_"Sorry..." I mumbled, feeling ashamed. One of the houndour sat on my other side. _

_"Touch Ember and all three of us will rip you to pieces,"he whispered harshly in my ear. Onyx hissed and snapped at him in warning, and he slunk away to sit beside his other companion. _

_"You may begin,"she called over to the competitors._

_The squirtle launched a Bubblebeam at the vulpix, who rolled to the side, dodging, and crouched, waiting for his next move. In response, the squirtle repeated his previous attack, and again, Ember neatly dodged it. With quiet paws she weaved from side to side, confusing the squirtle when she leapt, landing in front of him and sending him tumbling with one blow of her paw. _

_"I don't see the point of this battle. If the squirtle is a Water type, isn't it obvious that he'll beat her?" Onyx shook her head. _

_"You never know,"she replied as the vulpix followed up her previous blow with a sharp nip. "Ember is taking advantage of a squirtle's disadvantages and utilizing them to her advantage. Under even conditions, a squirtle will never be able to match her speed. Watch."_

_As Ember raced around her opponent to tackle him from behind, the squirtle raised his tail and clubbed her hard across the face, only....she suddenly wasn't there. She was above him, paws outstreched as she prepared to land on top of his head. She might have succeeded if the squirtle hadn't looked up in time to send a strong torrent of water right in her face. The impact threw her backwards and into a tree, where she lay stunned for a second. _

_Bracing all fours on the ground, the squirtle opened his mouth and sent a strong Water Gun into Ember's side; every effort she made to regain her footing was hampered by the damp, muddy ground. _

_"You will regret that,"she growled furiously. The squirtle narrowed his eyes and strengthened the attack, forcing her harder against the rough trunk. I could tell he didn't want to hurt her; his strategy was to force her to surrender before it was too late. _

_With a surge of strength the vulpix dug her claws into the trunk and hauled herself onto a low branch with surprising agility. Opening her mouth, she sent forth a stream of 5-pointed stars hurtling toward the squirtle at great speed and followed up her Swift attack with, of all moves, Faint Attack!_

_"I thought it was impossible for vulpix to learn that technique,"I whispered in Onyx's ear._

_"Ember's father was an Umbreon...due to her mixed blood, she was born with Faint Attack. Just like how at least a tenth of all eevees are born with the move Wish. You would be very fortunate to have a rare technique within your own line." Onyx smiled. "I myself have Wish."_

_"I doubt I have an attack like that...my mother was a vaporeon, my father an espeon."  
_

_Luckily, the squirtle managed to pull himself inside his shell before impact. Ember's dark energy-infused tackle sent the poor squirtle spinning into a boulder with a sickening crack. My stomach lurched. The top of his carapace was dented! I wasn't sure if he was all right or not; his grazed shell lay in front of the rock, and he gave no indication of wanting to come out. He was trapped. Ember advanced on him, eyes blazing in wasn't a serious fight; I knew the squirtle had been going easy on her the entire time, and had never attempted to wound her in any way. Having gained the upper hand, the vulpix fully intended to make him suffer.  
_

_"Coward!" Ember hissed under her breath as she stopped about ten yards in front of him. Eyes narrowed in fury, she aimed a swift attack at one of the shell's openings. Was she trying to murder him?_

_"That is going too far!"Onyx yelled, jumping to her paws._

_ At the same time, a torrent of water burst from the back end of the shell and struck the rock, propelling it rapidly back at the vulpix. The spinning motion, I noticed, repelled the stars back at her.  
_

_"Ember!" I shouted, scrambling to my paws. She would never be able to dodge if she couldn't see through her own attack. At the second before impact, a shadowy form shoved her out of the way and took the hit, it's small body knocked clear across the arena into the wall where it lay, almost lifeless._

_Onyx and I reached the houndour first, whereupon the umbreon began pressing lightly on his body, feeling for broken bones. Blood poured from a jagged cut where his head hit the wall, and his chest was bruised from when he was first struck._

_"I-I didn't mean to,"the squirtle stammered, watching from a distance as Onyx nosed his side. _

_"You had no other choice, her attack would have left you with serious injury.__ Eevee, keep an eye on him while I go fetch a psychic. We need to teleport him elsewhere." She made a running start and before she went a few feet her form shimmered and disappeared. Her special way of using Faint Attack to transport herself._

_I crouched by the houndour's side and tentatively licked the large cut between his ears, screwing my nose up in distaste at the saltiness of his blood. Even though I hated the taste, I was determined to at least clean the wound out before it got infected. As I worked, the squirtle sat by miserably. "I think he'll be okay,"I said kindly. His tail sagged.  
_

_Just as I finished, a shrill scream rang out across the battleground. I sprang to my paws, ready to aid whoever was distressed when I realized it was Ember, playing up a small injury._

_"My...my paw is bleeding!" She wailed, limping around on three legs. One of her pads had several nasty scrapes on the bottom, from which blood flowed. Though her other houndour companion was fussing over her frantically and licking the wound, I could tell just from looking that the injury was superficial._

_I frowned; was she so obsessed with being the center of attention, the condition of her friend was of little importance to her? Our eyes met, and she shot me a look of pure hatred before collapsing pathetically on her belly, her in injured paw drawn against her side. "I hope it doesn't have to be amputated,"she whimpered fretfully as the other houndour licked her cheek in reassurance._

_The one I was attending to stirred and, to my relief, raised his head. "Ember..." He choked out painfully. Ember's ear twitched, but she quickly ducked her head and began licking her wound. _

Ever since then, whenever Ember made fun of me or called me names, only one of her companions joined in. The houndour I helped, who's name I later found to be Flame would stay silent and shyly turn his head away if I looked at him. If not for Ember's influence, I think the two of us would have been good friends.

"Sis! What are you waiting for, Storm just said we could go inside and rest for a few hours." I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Another break? But I felt fine. As long as the sun was shining, I could train for days!

"You go ahead, Niko. I want to practice by myself for a while. Since it's my week off, I'll be gone for a few days or so." Trainees were sometimes given a few days off to explore the surrounding area and learn to live off the land.

"All right, see ya!" Niko licked my cheek in farewell. "I wish I could come."

"No."

"Aww..." His tail drooped.

"Suit yourself, little one. Whatever you're doing, make sure to be back on time, or else I'm sending the patrols out to find you." Onyx called over her shoulder as she and Storm settled down in the grass to talk quietly amongst themselves.

_I will, _I thought as I raced out the exit. Unlike many other trainees, I preferred the shelter of the forest to the confines of my apartment.

I nodded to the Nidoking guard and slipped out the Clan building, my eyes focused on the trees ahead. Once I was in the woods, I did not stop until a reached the bank of a great lake. On the other side was Eterna forest, where I was abandoned. I'd never found my Everstone; the scouting party that found me and brought me over to Clan Headquarters claimed that apart from the Quick Claw, I was holding no other item. The Everstone was the only memento I had of my trainer; besides, it could come in handy as a bargaining tool in an emergency.

I sat on the bank and stared across it's shores, small ripples of water lapping against my paws. Swimming was out of the question; Storm told me about a giant lake monster that wrapped it's long neck around unsuspecting swimmers and dragged them underwater. I didn't know whether or not to believe him, but I wasn't willing to take any chances.

Walking around the lake was another solution, albeit a very dangerous one. Gangs of rogue pokemon often preyed upon the weak, especially when it was late at night. I was strong, but I wasn't prepared to battle bigger and more experienced pokemon yet.

Which left me to my last option: the trees. Traveling through the trees that bordered the lake was a much safer way to reach my destination.

Fox pokemon, as Ember had demonstrated more than once in her mock battles, were especially skilled at climbing trees, though it was a talent most never practiced enough to get good at.. Such a task was exceedingly difficult for canines like growlithe and mightyena. Fortunately, this ability came naturally to eevees as well as vulpix. It just takes a day or so to get the hang of it. Onyx, who taught me how to climb claimed I was a natural at it.

I unsheathed my curved claws and scrambled up a tree, stopping to catch my breath before maneuvering myself along the limb until I was close enough to leap to another branch. Crouching, I wriggled my hindquarters, concentrating all my energy into my haunches, and with a muffled growl I launched myself into the air. I landed neatly on the limb of another tree; having used my tail to maintain balance, I had no trouble regaining my footing.

For this next tree, I had to climb a little higher up before a found a branch so long that it intertwined with the branches of the tree next to it. Before long, I was on my way at a rapid clip. If it got too dark, I planned to dig a burrow and sleep in it for the night. Sleeping in a tree was a good way to get picked off by a fearow.

_What if that cyndaquil is there?_

I gritted my teeth. Then I would treat him as I would any enemy of mine. My claws flexed, and I felt safe knowing their next few days in the wild would be crucial in my goals of becoming stronger...an opportunity for more experiences.


	5. First Rescue:Part one

**First Rescue:Part one**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own pokemon, Satoshi Tajiri, the fat cats at Nintendo and other semi-important people who's names or companies I care not enough to look up own it.

A bright beam of sunlight streaming into my den woke me up as I tossed fitfully on my makeshift bed of moss. Disentangling my fluffy tail from my back paws, I rolled onto my stomach and stretched, wincing as my spine cracked. I quickly shook the dirt out of my fur and pushed my muzzle out the entrance to my den, sifting through the early morning smells for any signs of a threat. Satisfied, I crept out and looked around.

"Good Morning!" A cheery skuntank said as it waddled past. Following behind her was a line of young stunkies. I smiled as they echoed their mother's greeting in high-pitched voices.

"Hello!" I said in reply as I padded to the edge of the lake and looked at my reflection in the water. Except for a small clump of dirt on my chest ruff, my appearance was decent. I wetted my paw and combed it through my fur until it shone even more brightly against the sun. Storm was right; my fur _had _gotten rather glossy over the past few weeks.

Finished, I looked across the lake, and noted with some satisfaction that I was more than halfway to Eterna Forest. I decided to continue my journey, and eat on the way instead of wasting my time hunting for berries. I heard that berries and other fruit grew abundantly in Eterna, and I was eager to get something to fill my stomach. I set off on the path between the lake and trees this time. It seemed safe, and I knew that if something went wrong I could always climb a tree to escape.

As I walked along, I was suddenly aware of the sensation of being watched. I shook it off and kept my eyes firmly planted on the path ahead. Eevee weren't exactly common in this area, so I couldn't fault the local pokemon for being naturally curious.

After a half hour of walking I came upon a bush of nanab berries and decided to take a short break and eat breakfast. Within a few minutes I was finished and was wiping my face when a commotion in the grasses ahead startled me.

A second later the bushes parted and a rattata burst out, eyes wide in horror. Mildly startled, I neatly tripped him with my tail and pinned him down.

"Are you crazy?! Get off me, they're coming, they're coming!" He struggled under my paw.

"Who's coming?" I asked curiously. I lifted my paw a little.

"The humans! But these ones are different." He shivered. "They wear pelts of silver, and have really big, really strong pokemon with them." My eyes narrowed. _Team Galactic_. What were they doing here? Last I heard, they were on the down low due to some confrontation with a trainer at the Spear Pillar. I needed to look into this.

"Where are they? And what exactly are they doing?" The rattata sniffled.

"They've kidnaped my friends and family…their pokemon pretended to be injured, and when my parents and neighbors came out to help them…they attacked us." He bared his teeth angrily. "Then their humans came out and threw a net over them. How could pokemon do that to each other?" He spat angrily.

I nodded in sympathy. I knew how he felt, and how much he was suffering right now. But this just wasn't the time to sit here and talk about it. I leaned in close to his ear.

"I want to help your friends, but you're going to have to show me where they are. Think you could do that?"

"What could _you _do?" He asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously. I bristled.

"The best I can," I half snarled. "If you don't help me, I'll go by myself. But thanks to you, it'll take me longer to find your friends without a guide." He flinched.

"So you're in?" I scratched the ground impatiently, knowing time was being wasted just sitting here.

He looked down at his paws, this simple gesture drawing attention to the fact that his legs were shaking in fear. Then he looked up, determination written across his face.

"Okay. I…I'll try."

"Good. Lead on…?" I remembered that I didn't know his name.

"Chewy."

"Ah, ok."

The rattata steeled himself, then plunged into the bushes from whence it came, creeping forward with slow, deliberate steps. I followed a few pawsteps behind him, making sure to keep my head and tail lowered in case the low-lying bushes revealed them.

I kept up a face of courage, but inside, I was just as scared as the rattata was. I knew it was a risky undertaking. The very worst that could happen was for us to be captured. From the stories I heard from veterans in the Clan, I was better off dead than joining Team Galactic.

I began to regret not taking Niko with me; the luxio was growing stronger at an alarming rate, and I needed all the help I could get. I did not and would not expect the rattata to fight. I didn't want him to get hurt, or captured. That alone would make my mission a failure.

"What kind of pokemon do they have?" I asked. I couldn't help but feel as if I was being watched.

"Wouldn't _you _like to know?" A snide voice answered from right behind me. I heard the ground shift as the unknown pokemon crouched.

_Crap._

Without wasting time I kicked up my hind paws, sending dirt and gravel into the face of, as I soon learned when I turned around, a female glameow. I'd barely registered this before she retaliated, swiping her claws blindly at my face. I hissed as one of her talons opened a cut in my cheek, and shoved her away from me.

I wiped the blood off my cheek with the back of one paw and glared at my opponent, who was hurriedly trying to brush the dirt out of her eyes. My mind was racing; I wanted to finish this battle before her friends heard the commotion and decided to join in. Whipping around, I kicked out with both legs, hoping I could catch her in the jaw or something and bring her down. Sadly, I underestimated her. In one fluid movement she dodged my attack and even managed to sink her small sharp teeth into my haunch.

"Grr....let go of me!" I snapped in frustration, kicking out with my other leg. She chuckled and bit harder, causing me to lose control and thrash about wildly in desperation. I managed a few glancing kicks before my paw struck her in the ribs. Thankfully, she released me.

I crouched, panting hard as I fought to regain my breath. All the traveling I had done in the past day or so was partly responsible for the weariness that seized me now.

"Not bad," she hissed. Her voice took on a more persuasive tone. "We could do with a strong pokemon like you." I noticed from the corner of my eye the glowing tip of her long tail coming at me from a hidden angle.

"Not bloody likely," I replied, punching her in the face.

As she staggered back holding a paw to her nose ("Bitch, you made me bleed!") I lashed out with my front paws, knocking her legs out from under her. The second she was down I jumped on top of her, effectively knocking the breath out of her body. I didn't want to, but clamping my jaws on her neck I slammed her head hard into the ground, until she passed out.

When I was sure she wasn't going to wake up I bit into one of her back legs as hard as possible, trying not to wince as I tasted blood, then hit bone. I did the same to the front leg on the same side of her body, then wiped the blood from around my lips. I turned to Chewy.

He looked horrified.

"What-what did you _do?"_ He squeaked_._

"I kicked dirt at, punched, knocked out and sprained the legs of a pokemon that wanted to harm and enslave us, and your family," I answered without hesitation.

He shut up.

I could hear the sound of more pokemon moving about in the brush. I tensed, the feeling of being watched coursing through my body, making my spine shiver.

"Chewy," I whispered out of the side of my mouth. "Climb up a tree. The one behind you."

"Why?" _Idiot._

"Just do it." With a doubtful glance at me he obeyed, grunting a little as he clambered to a a branch with a thick growth of leaves that obscured him from view.

Giving orders always a bad taste in my mouth....like that of water drunk from a tire track. I was still a trainee, but at the rate I was going, I knew it was only a matter of time before I ranked up. Ever since I woke up from my encounter with the dark cyndaquil, I noticed that I went through a change. Not that many pokemon were able to sense it in themselves, but from the moment I woke up in Clan Headquarters, I knew that I was different from before. My intellect had grown from that of an almost-mature kit to a young adult in a matter of days.

I paced in front of the tree, more aware of my surroundings than ever before. It was only a matter of time. No sooner had that thought crossed my mind before the attack came flying my way, taking a chunk out of the tree next to me in a flurry of golden five-pointed stars. I jumped and turned in time to see a dark figure running in the opposite direction. _That could have been my head! _

I spun on my hind paws and gave chase, my heart beating excitedly at the thrill of running through tall grass and pursuing my prey. As I ran my hind paw slipped on some loose pebbles and I fell awkwardly on one side, throwing a shower of gravel into the air as I skidded. Some of the rocks were sharp, leaving me with some nasty scrapes along my side. For a few seconds I lay there, dazed and hurt.

"Damn this." Gritting my teeth against the stinging pain, I struggled to all fours and looked around, trying to spot my fleeing adversary. My eyes focused on a small clearing several yards ahead of me, where a Skuntank crouched in wait the tip of it's tail pointed right at me. I was confused; the thing that attacked me wasn't even half the size of this brute!The skuntank looked intimidating, but I knew that it was too late to give up on this fool's errand.

I unsheathed my claws.

The first thing one would notice about a skuntank was it's intimidating size. The next obvious would be the subtle odor that surrounded it. Despite the fact that they are among the foulest-smelling pokemon, this gentle odor compelled one to lower his or her aggression toward the said skuntank. The scent, which was a skuntank's original line of defense was not strong enough to affect me; maybe that's why it growled the moment I came closer than three yards.

Though he was large, I could tell the Skunktank was new to evolution. It was in the way he held his tail, which arched high in the air and stayed there, never coming to rest along his head and back like other members of his species. He still held his tail the way a stunky would, without considering the possibility that the position would impede his ability to attack.

I slunk off to the side, staying just out of reach as it swiveled it's head to look at me. Ambushing a skuntank from above would only earn me a hard blow from it's tail, as I learned while watching the skuntank in the Clan spar. It was weeks ago, but he explained to the observing trainees that quadruped pokemon with spines or horns or(in his case) tails that protected their backs all had one common weakness; their bellies. Striking a strong hit in that spot almost always incapacitates such a pokemon.

Concentrating my thoughts to the item I still held, I ran forward rapidly, straight toward the burly pokemon. Just as it fired a hot stream of liquid at me, I veered sharply and leaped, hitting the trunk of a nearby tree with all fours. Without wasting momentum I dug in my claws, turned, and pushed off again, slamming into the side of it's face when it turned to follow my movements. Digging my claws into the loose skin around it's neck I bit hard on his muzzle. Out of the corner of my eye a whitish blur came toward me, and I braced myself. That was when four long, curved claws raked down my side, tearing open my flesh in one swift slash. I crashed to the ground and stayed there, tears coming to my eyes at the burning pain that seized my body. I curled into a ball instinctively.

The zangoose skiidded to a halt behind and to the right of the skuntank. A violet eyes flashed as she glared at me over her shoulder and flicked her talons, droplets of blood-_my _blood-staining the grass.

"Really now, was that so hard to do?" The skuntank bristled and stood aggressively on his hind legs as the Zangoose sneered at him. Her body was marked with cuts and scratch

The sun shone brightly through the trees, and the pain in my side abated. I sucked in a deep breath and relaxed. My wounds weren't so bad, now that I think about it. They could have been a lot worse. With that revelation my strength began to return.

"You didn't kill her." He growled.

"Oh really? My mistake. Next time I'll let you get your tail shoved halfway down your throat before I interefere. "

"Do you never have _anything _nice to say?"

"No."

"Why did they put me with you again? I swear you new recruits got no re-" His words were silenced as a large orb of dark energy struck his stomach and exploded upon impact, sending both him and the zangoose rolling in the dust. The smell of burned fur stung my nose as I struggled to my paws. Ignoring the wisps of dark matter that wafted out my mouth I staggered toward my fallen enemies. The pain was still horrific to fear, but the anger I felt was much worse.

It colored my vision red.

Snarling under my breath, I stalked over to the skuntank and looked at the large burn my Shadow Ball left on the underside of his body. He was unconscious and virtually hyelpless, so I turned around and kicked dirt in his face before turning to the zangoose. Though she'd escaped the worst damage by crouching low to the ground, the Shadow Ball had knocked the skuntank into her, leaving her with a few bruises. As she stood up on two shaky legs, I growled and bit hard into her leg, crunching through a tendon in the process.

"Ahn!" She screamed, falling on her face and thrashing wildly, trying to dislodge me. I spat out a chunk of flesh and licked my lips as she glared at me defiantly. For that I lashed out with a claw and swiped it across her face.

"You ugly little rat..."She choked out painfully.

"Shut up!" Seizing her by the neck so roughly my teeth pierced her skin, I knocked her head repeatedly against the ground, ignoring her pitiful whimpers. I didn't know how long I did it it, but I was aware of a sinking sensation, as f my own consciousness was fading away the longer I kept up this assault. All I know is, everything turned black.

* * *

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas(even if ur not christian, I hope Christmas day is a good day for you)

What Chica would like the most are reviews! :D okay okay I'll shut up.


	6. First Rescue:Captured

**First Rescue:Captured**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokemon franchise, it all belongs to Satoshi Tajiri*cough*-Sama*cough*, Nintendo and Gamefreak.

I woke up feeling groggy and disoriented, my front leg crumpled painfully under me. My eyes were sealed shut from moisture (tears?) and stung slightly behind the lids. Wiping them with the back of my good paw, I sat up and stretched my limbs out before taking in my surroundings.

I was in a small room; so small, that it would have taken me less than two seconds to sprint to the other side. My tail brushed against a smooth object that made a grating noise at it shifted on the hard concrete floor; a food bowl, partially filled with round, brown pellets. Sniffing carefully to make sure it wasn't poisoned, I pulled the dish closer to me. It had been many months since I'd last eaten human-made pokemon food, so I was a little curious to see how it tasted now.

Darting quick glances from side to side to make sure I wasn't being watched, I lapped up a few pellets and promptly spat them out. What was this!? Were they feeding me _dirt_? I sniffed again, and my anger turned to amusement. This was the exact same brand of poke food my former trainer used to feed me. In fact, I ate it twice a day, and considered it my favorite brand. But why my sudden change in taste?

_Because you had partially reverted back to a wild pokemon during your time in the Clan...eating naturally grown food has changed your body's perception of food handled by humans, _a little voice in my head told me.

It made sense, in a way. I didn't know whether that was good or not, but the fighting I had done earlier took all my energy, and if I wanted to be able to make it out of here I had to eat. I emptied my head of all other thoughts and concentrated on filling my aching belly.

_Click. _

My ears twitched at the sound of the door opening, and I quickly raised my head to see a human in an odd silver uniform coming toward me slowly. He quickly hid his hand behind his back as he approached me cautiously, but not before I saw the injection needle. I bristled and snarled a warning. Stay back.

Taking my lack of movement for a good sign, he stepped even closer, making the weird, cooing noises that humans mistakenly think calms us down. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Hearing those sounds only annoyed me even more, and the anger that consumed my mind was now overshadowed by insult. He was plainly trying to make a fool of me.

I forced my hackles to lie flat and waited until he got close enough so I could see the beads of sweat between his eyes, then lunged.

Big mistake.

I was concentrating so much on the arm behind his back that I never noticed the rectangle shaped metal device in his other hand until it was pressed into my shoulder.

A painful shock rippled through my body; I screamed and fell on my side, upsetting the food dish in the process. The searing current froze me in place while simultaneously pumping hundreds, maybe thousands of volts into me. By the time he finished, I was nearly unconscious again. My limbs twitched even as I willed them to move again. Despite my condition, I glared defiantly at my captor. He may have overpowered my body, but my free will would never be his.

I growled feebly as he knelt by my side and ran his fingers along my back. Only chuckling when I opened my jaws and snapped weakly at him. Human faces were truly grotesque when they laughed. I settled for growling low in my throat. Even my vocal cords ached.

"Calm down now...that's a good boy. Good boy," he said in a soothing voice. Damn him. He thought I was male. "Yes...you will make a fine addition to Boss' collection. A fine one indeed." He eyed me thoughtfully. "Boss has yet to acquire a jolteon..."

Collection? What the hell was he talking about? Unless.....

I groaned inwardly. Storm mentioned them once. Onyx elaborated further on the subject, but I never thought I would encounter one. The standard Eon collector. The name pretty much explained the definition; problem was, this usually meant that I was expected to evolve into an Eon of my master's choice, most likely one he had not yet captured. Evolution was something I had yet to decide on, and I was not willing to let that freedom be taken away from me. Most young eevees spend the first two or three years of their lives looking forward to evolution, and deciding which form would truly suit them the most.

I shuddered; would they actually force me to evolve? Forced evolution is likened to _rape _in the pokemon world, especially in the minds of eevees and their evolutions. I'd heard the stories. Some hated their forms for the rest of their lives; others never came out the same after forced evolutions. _Never the same...._

The stiffness in my legs was slowly giving way. I flexed a hind leg; he didn't notice. He was speaking into an object that was attached to the wall by a wire. It took me several seconds to recognize it as a human device called a telephone. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make out any words on the other end, other than "Do _not _evolve him!"

"My first time leading a capture party and I bag an eevee." He glanced at my stomach. "My mistake, a rare female, as a matter of fact. Hm? Bruises? A few, yes. She put up quite a fight before we got her. All right. This one seems a few months shy of that. Acclimate her....with _him_? But Boss kept saying...all right then." His hand shook, as if he were afraid of the orders given him.

While I was preoccupied with getting my legs to work again, the man (who, from his silver-white outfit I now recognized as a member of Team Galactic) muttered under his breath. I don't know if he was actually talking to me, or himself, but I found his words very disconcerting to hear.

"Yes...you are my meal ticket out of here. I might even be rewarded a year's salary for you. Two years, maybe. Pay my debts to Cyrus and marry in Kanto, along with a summer house to boot..." His fingers clenched painfully in my side as he spoke of what he would get in return for capturing me. I growled irritably.

I mewled in pain as he lifted me up and carried me into the hallway. I didn't even struggle as he dropped me inside a small mesh cage with a rubber handle. One thing I could never get used to was being carried around inside cages. For one thing, the carrier tended to swing it a lot, often resulting in prolonged dizziness. The man stepped into an elevator and set the cage down.

Shivering, I curled up in the center of the cage, drawing tighter and tighter against myself as I began to feel lightheaded from the elevator's descent. I had a gut feeling that we were many, many feet underground. The thought made me nauseous. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the lift stopped and the doors began to open, but the grunt made no move to carry me out. The room spun as air rushed into the small space.

A familiar scent flooded my nostrils-a scent I'd come to know so recently that I even raised my head to to confirm it.

"Chewy...is that you?" I squinted through blurry eyes.

"Yes....you could say that," he replied smoothly. My ears twitched. This wasn't the Chewy I knew. He was too calm, his tone of voice a lot more mature than before. "You look a little worn out," the Rattata observed.

"Yeah, well, aren't we all." I lowered my ears. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save your family...or protect you, for that matter."

"Oh, don't say that, my dear little eevee. You have made happy some very important people."

My vision suddenly cleared and I was able to see again. I almost wished I didn't.

Standing beside my cage was not the frightened young rattata that sought my protection. The pokemon before me was poised, his lavender tail curled high over his back and his head tilted in an aristocratic manner. His finely groomed fur was glossy, and one did not have to look twice to see the hard muscles under his pelt. Even his fangs and claws were sharpened and polished to a shine. But above all else, the first thing I noticed was that he wasn't in a cage.

I drew myself up in open-mouthed surprise, still staring at him. "But..._how_?" I demanded, thrusting my muzzle at him. The cage bars felt cold against my face. Then I saw the collar around his neck. A pet's collar, with a pendant encrusted with diamonds.

"No...." My shoulders sagged.

"Surprised?" He grinned wickedly, walking along beside my cage as we left the elevator. "It didn't take much to lure a rarity like you into the trap my companions made. Never mind the fact that you still defeated them." He scoffed. "Useless buggers."

"You mean that entire thing was a set up?" I unsheathed my class and dug them into the padding at the bottom of my cage, both to steady myself and express anger. "You _lied_ to me?"

"Hm....I suppose so." He shrugged and smiled half-apologetically. "If it makes you feel better, the part about the forest pokemon being lured into the open and captured is true. The valiance of those that come to the aid of an pokemon in distress amuses me. "

"So it was you! The entire time..." It all fit together. He'd lured the other pokemon out so the other Galactic members could capture them, then, in all the confusion ran off to find more pokemon to lure to the spot. And he ended up with me.

"Oh! Please, will someone help me, I'm wounded," He squealed mockingly, wringing his paws in a gesture of anguish. Once his snickers were ignored, I could see how anyone could have fallen for his act.

The grunt suddenly turned down a long corridor with rooms on either side. Some of the doors were open, and the voices of many pokemon reached my ears.

They were all suffering. A roar reverberated throughout the premises, shaking the passage to it's very core. I don't know from whom the cry came from, but I found myself crying silently at the anguish in it's lament.

"That Charizard's at it again," Chewy sighed, shaking his head. Chains rattled far off in the passage, followed by more pained roars.

"Wh-what are you doing to him?" The tears felt hot against my fur. I could almost feel his pain.

"Do not waste your grief. That dragon is responsible for the brutal deaths of many of our members and pokemon." He shook his head as I gasped in shock. "We would never have gone to the extent of breaking his wings if he had submitted to our treatments." I growled under my breath and flexed my claws even harder.

"It was all for his own good, really."

"You...you little bastard!" I screamed, snapping at him through the bars. "Why must you torture him so? What has he, or any other pokemon here done to-"

"Silence!" The rattata hissed as my cage was set down in front of a door. "Do not speak of that which you have no knowledge of. That Charizard."-He smirked as another roar cut through his explanation- "...has endured this treatment since he first evolved into charmeleon."

I closed my eyes and fought the impulse to Shadow Ball his face.

"It is the only known Charizard without a tail flame, and he's ours. We have no intention of letting him go anytime soon. When it comes to charmanders that survive an extinguished tail flame..."His grin grew wider. "He was the survivor out of the hundred or so tested."

I let that sink in for a second. One out of a hundred? So that meant they killed ninety-nine charmanders just to get that result? My heart sank; I was told about the crimes Team Galactic had committed against pokemon, but I was in no way prepared for what I was hearing now. I sagged to the bottom of the cage, too overwhelmed by the sudden twist my life was taking. I wished I was dead.

The cage lurched, and I found myself being dumped onto the floor of another room. I lay there, too stunned to get up. Chewy padded in, flicking my ear with his tail as he faced me.

"There are many other pokemon here that are just like him-genetic anomalies, on whom we experiment to discover ways to harness their abilities."He laughed harshly. "I should know, I am one of them."He leaned in close to my face. "As are you." He padded toward the exit, tail waving mockingly.

"N-no!" I stood up on wobbly legs and cast a Shadow Ball at him. A bluish dome shimmered around him and absorbed the attack, leaving the Rattata completely unscathed.

"Nice try," he said, cocking his head to the side as his Protect shield wavered and vanished. "You threw your own dice, now let me cast mine." As he said spoke his body started to glow with an eerie yellow light. My eyes watered as the the flickering light grew brighter until it illuminated the entire room.

Blinded, I scrambled to dodge but it was too late; a powerful force struck me square in the chest, pumping a weak current of electricity into me. Unlike the stun gun, this shock didn't cause any pain; it only caused my limbs to stiffen and lock, freezing me in place.

"Now,"Chewy growled, his eyes darkening. "Let me show you a _real _Shadow Ball!"

Before the enormous orb of dark energy struck, I thought to myself: _how many times am I going to be knocked unconscious before I make it out of here? _And that's when darkness overtook me.

By the time I woke up, both Chewy and the grunt were gone, and the door was sealed shut. I cursed softly and tested my limbs one by one until I was convinced they were in working order. Then I stood there under the light and growled softly to myself. Damn that Rattata!

The room I was currently in was big and airy, with off-white walls and soft cushions strewn about the floor. At one end was some kind of fake pond with several large white fish with orange patches on their scales. I dabbed curiously at the clear surface, the fish gathering curiously around my paw and bumping it with their heads. I withdrew my paw and started to wipe it dry on my ruff, and that's when I felt it.

My claws clicked against something cool thin and metallic-a solid collar those despicable humans must have slipped on me while I was unconscious. A growing sense of panic rose within me; I scratched and pulled desperately at the collar even as it started to shrink. How long had this thing been on?

Yelping, I collapsed on my side and tried to twist my head enough to bite it off. I never even came close, only managing to tear out mouthfuls of my own ruff with every failed attempt.

"Dammit, get off me!" I snarled, tearing at it with all my might. I think even I broke one or two claws in the process. It grew even tighter than ever, crushing my windpipe, choking me into submission. The walls began to close in; my vision blurred until the room became a world of darkness and silence. But I wasn't out; not by a long shot. The wonders fear could give you at a time like this. I no longer felt exhausted.

I dug my claws into the lush carpeting and threw my head back, firing a Shadow Ball at one of ceiling lights; it went out with a _pop! _My next Shadow Ball flew into the couch, the dark energy burning through it with little effort.

I tackled the walls with every ounce of my strength and fired random Shadow Balls at will, even using my teeth and damaged claws at one point to rip open the scattered cushions. Oh, my demented mind enjoyed that part the most. I tore open cushion after cushion, sending pieces of white fluff flying into the air.

It was as I was clawing small chunks out the wall that I noticed for the first time the pair of red eyes watching me from the shadows in the far corner. My eyes widened, and I backed away from the wall with my head and tail down.

The Umbreon's paws hardly made a sound on the carpeting as he padded closer. I stayed still and kept my posture relaxed, making sure not to meet his eyes as he circled me a few times and sniffed along my spine. Then, as if uncertain he sniffed again. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him shake his head. "No...it can't be,"he muttered under his breath.

I swallowed audibly as he stood in front of me once more. My paws kneaded the floor as I anxiously awaited his next move. I'd so carelessly destroyed his territory. Whatever punishment he dealt out was what I deserved for disrespecting his home.

A few more minutes passed. Then...

"Look at me." I let my eyes travel from his large paws, up his lean legs, over his muscular chest and neck until they reached his face. Blood red eyes stared back unflinchingly as he bared his teeth a little. "Name, age, and rank."

"I have no name, I am a little over two years old, and..." I paused, thinking. "Where I come from, they call me a trainee."

"Mhm..."He nodded thoughtfully.

"And..I'm sorry I messed up your den,"I said quickly. "But I need to get this thing off." I indicated the metallic collar.

Ever since I stopped trying to pry it off, it reverted back to its normal size and no longer choked me. The Umbreon shook his head.

"Sorry. I've never worn one of those things. Collars mean that you are their property...your particular kind is made to do all sorts of things if you resist orders or try to escape." He yawned, revealing long white fangs as he swiped his tongue over his lips. "I don't need one. I'm leased until my contract runs out."

"Lea....sed?" The word was unfamiliar to me.

He nodded. "That's right. I sold myself to Team Galactic for a set amount of time. I still have a few months before it runs out."

"And then?" The very idea of selling one's self to an evil organization was both horrifying yet fascinating. His fur was clean with no sign of mange, and he looked well-fed. They must have been taking good care of him.

"As soon as my lease runs out, I leave. However, my current client may want to renew it....just to keep me around longer. I have many desirable....traits...."

"Traits?" I tipped my head to the side.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come now. Have you not noticed?"

I stepped back, and it was then that I finally realized. "Your rings... are red? That's so cool!"

"That's right,"he nodded. His rings glowed even more brightly at the compliment. "Most shinies will only have blue rings. I guess you could say, I am one of a kind. My coloring and superior battle strength makes me respected among prospective clients. I have also sired many fine kits."

"So you're a dad," I whispered, half to myself. My dad hadn't even stuck around for my birth.

He let out an amused purr, eyes closed as if he were remembering something. "Never a dad. Not like I sit around and _raise _them. I leave that to their mothers. All I do is stud when I no longer have any missions."

My eyes widened. "No mate?"

He shook his head, almost sadly. "No mate...although once upon a time....many years ago...I had one. She was gorgeous."

"What happened?" My curiosity was sparked. I think I even began to sympathize with him at this point.

"It be none of your business, kit." He lay down on a cushion and flicked his tail toward another one invitingly. I obliged and sat across from him. "I was a jerk...and screwed everything up. We never would have worked out anyway...but I still feel like a failure when it comes to her. I broke her heart, then went back and left her new mate to bleed to death somewhere in a ditch."

I frowned. "You don't deserve a mate then."

"I suppose I don't...but I don't regret a thing."He began to lick his chest.

"Is he still alive?"

"Heh. Don't know. Don't care." He shrugged and crossed his paws in front of him, then rested his head on them. "I'll be having my rest now. Help yourself to anything you want." He closed his eyes, and sure enough, was asleep within a few seconds. I knew I was dismissed then.

Dragging my cushion to the corner, I settled down with my legs tucked neatly under me and closed my eyes. Despite my efforts to sleep, the Umbreon's words kept floating up in my mind.

_Went back and left her new mate to bleed to death somewhere in a ditch...._I shivered.

I wasn't the best judge of character, but I knew a bastard when I saw one.

* * *

Sorry this took longer to write, I was was busy with school work. The original chapter would have included the scene with the collar right before she met up with Chewy again, but I think this works out better. More eeveelutions in the next chapter.

Shi-Chan, since you're anonymous I wasn't able to pm a reply to your review, but I want to make it clear that our little Eevee won't have a real name until she evolves. Which may be a while from now. Heehee :D

Thanks for reading and reviewing, and if any of you have questions either pm me or contact me on my AIM, which I'll leave on my profile. I'm usually on at night.

Thanks again,

Narutochica (yeah...I really have to change my name soon...and update my old fics)

P.S. Also check out my other story, Eon Love. It could be considered a sort of prequel.


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